


0-dark-hundred

by emAvox



Category: Oxenfree
Genre: AU: Alex drowns, Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Ren is kind of a dick, but Clarissa is pretty chill, game rewrite, o jeez, weirdo time loops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-24 16:15:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16178654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emAvox/pseuds/emAvox
Summary: “Alex is dead!” Michael yells back.(Was, is, will be), the radio spits. (Not always. Like us.)“What does that mean?” He pleads, voice rising.The garbled voices call to him. (Sleepy. Time. Gal. Is here now. Took- your place.)





	1. 8 P.M.

**Author's Note:**

> i have fallen back into this game after, like, two years! so this is basically a rewrite of the game if Alex drowned instead of Michael. but it's also a time loop---- oooh ghosty stuff. there will be a LOT of game dialogue so make sure that you don't read this if you haven't finished the game yet! this is totally unbeta'd so read at your own risk; will update sporadically.

**8 P.M.**

  


_0-dark-hundred_ _, 0'dark-hundred (pronounced "oh dark hundred", because the "zero" in time expressions was verbally pronounced "oh" in the US Navy and US Army as late as the 1980s: A slang term for any time between midnight and daylight. Used to convey that the time is when people are usually asleep. e.g. "We have to get up at 0-dark-hundred." It is not a reference to any particular time._

  
  
  


The ferry trip is awkward. Michael tries to make small talk with Jonas (his new step-brother?) while also ignoring the fact that Ren is ignoring both of them. Well, Ren is mostly ignoring Michael, so he’s basically just ignoring Jonas in _connection_ with Michael. Alex’s old friend is parked on the bench furthest from the two new brothers and is reading from one of his weird-ass books, pointedly not joining in on the conversation. Jonas seems to be picking up on the tension and is darting his eyes between the two of them, but doesn’t bring it up. Small mercies.

 

Michael decided when he picked Jonas up to go to this stupid beach thing (which is only supposed to be for the high school juniors but Clarissa had asked him to go, to get out of the house for once) that he was a pretty alright dude. He has a feeling that Alex would have become fast friends with him, based on the whole chill-as-fuck-nothing-gets-to-me attitude he’s been wearing since he got into Michael’s car. Something about it, though, is kind of sticking in Michael’s craw-- maybe it’s because Jonas is as old as Alex is-was-would have been, but he thinks that it’s something else. Something about how familiar Jonas seems even though they’ve never met, and how it’s _really really weird_ that Ren is mad at him (which he gets because Alex but-- not?) for something that happened but also maybe didn’t.

 

 _This is going to be_ , he thinks to himself, _a long-ass night_.

 

When they step off of the ferry, Ren still isn’t talking much, and hasn’t even deigned to say a word to Michael. And that’s just fine, he thinks.

 

Ren breathes in deeply, walking ahead of them, and sighs. “Smell that clean air,” he mutters, and it feels like he’s referencing something. Probably an Alex-something.

 

“Anybody want a smoke?” Jonas asks. “I have a full pack.”

 

“No, thanks.” Ren calls.

 

“Nah, man. Thanks, though.” Michael mutters, digging through his pocket for a mint. The smell of the water on the wind is making his stomach turn.

 

“Hey, Ren,” Jonas calls kind of abruptly. Both Ren and Michael are caught off guard by it, but the younger boy cuts his eyes over at Jonas to show that he’s listening. “Do you mind if I talk to Michael for a second? Alone?”

 

Ren snorts. “Jonas, I have _absolutely no problem_ leaving him with you.” Then he walks off towards the cliffs.

 

Michael pulls his old red jacket tighter around his shoulders, that dumb disposable radio in his pocket. Or, well, Alex’s old jacket? Maybe that’s why Ren had been extra snippy.

 

“Uh, thanks man.” Jonas calls after him, but Ren is already making his way up the curve of the street and around the corner of the hill.

 

Michael turns to Jonas and forces a happy/chill expression face. “Everything okay, dude?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jonas says. “Just, uh… well, Ren seems nice? Reminds me of a guy I know back home.”

 

Michael blinks at him for a moment. Then says, “I mean, he’s harmless. As far as nice goes, I guess… he can be.”

 

Jonas doesn’t really seem to know how to respond to that without punching the room’s elephant in the face so he leaves it be. “Listen, I just wanted to grab you ahead of time and say that you’ve been… cool… about everything. And… I guess it’s just-- for me, I’ve never moved anywhere, and, like, getting a new family at the same time kinda feels like I’m skipping the training wheels.”

 

Jonas hesitates, then rushes to say, “Not that it’s been bad or anything. You and your mom have been great.”

 

Michael’s smile turns a little bit more genuine while Jonas rambles before he gently cuts in. “You miss back home?”

 

Jonas’s cigarette glows in the growing darkness as his mouth quirks to the side. “Eh. There’s not much to miss to be honest. Oh, and, thanks for setting up that bedroom for me. I was in the basement in my old house, so _this_ is… an improvement.”

 

Michael starts to walk off towards the cliffs like Ren had not too long ago and Jonas stumbles a bit to catch up, their strides matching as they slowly creep away from the dock. “No problem, dude. It was, uh… It was already cleaned out.”

 

They walk in silence for a bit, and when Jonas tosses his cigarette butt in a puddle Michael says, “I heard that you, uh…”

 

“Went to jail?” Jonas finishes for him. “Yeah, well… don’t believe everything you hear.”

 

After taking and releasing a big breath Jonas went on. “We can-- we can catch back up with Ren now. I didn’t mean to take so long.”

 

“No worries,” Michael says easily. They pick up the pace and walk in silence. It’s almost nice.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

They catch up to Ren at the fence by the cliffs where he is definitely moping, probably at the fact that he has to spend the night with Michael. When he hears their footsteps crunching on the small rocks that are quickly turning into sand he looks up and gives Jonas an obviously fake smile.

 

“Hello, kids. The other guys and gals should be further up so… be quick now! Wouldn’t want everyone else to get to the weirdo caves first.”

 

“Weirdo caves?” Jonas asks, voice flat.

 

Ren turns to Michael for only a moment to ask, “Bring the radio?” When Michael nods, Ren turns back to Jonas.

 

“The whole reason we bring the radio is because when you go to the-- it’s like the ‘front’--”

 

“The mouth?” Jonas cuts in, sounding less and less amused as this conversation goes on. Michael can relate, especially when it comes to Ren.

 

Ren keeps going with increased emphasis. “--the “ _mouth_ ” of this _particular_ cave, you can sometimes pick up frequencies… to stations that don’t exist. You’ll hear voices or just, sounds, and they’re impossible to get anywhere else on the island. Crazy, right?”

 

“It’s pretty creepy, Ren.” Michael says, and Ren ignores him.

 

“I did it once,” Alex’s stoner friend continues. “It’s amazing when it works.”

 

“Maybe it’s just Mrs. Adler fucking with all of us?” Michael drawls, shifting on his feet. The wind off of the water is freezing.

 

“Who’s Mrs. Adler?” Jonas asks.

 

“Oh,” Ren says, flashing a glare at Michael. “She’s this old geriatric who lives on the other side of the woods. Her family owns this whole island or something. Whatever, she doesn’t matter and frankly I don’t know why she was brought up.”

 

After a second of silence, Jonas says emphatically, “Thanks _so much_ for bringing me out here, you guys. I can tell I’m going to have a really good time.”

 

“Sorry, Jonas.” Michael says, but Ren just turns to look through the fence and changes the subject.

 

“The beaten path officially ends here. The beach is past the fence. I think Jerry told me that there’s a way they used to get over it, but… I’m blanking on what it was.”

 

“I think the dumpster will get us over if it’ll, uh, budge.” Michael says, and Jonas blinks and furrows his brow. For a second he seems like he’s forgotten something, or is trying to remember something, but then his face clears and he nods.

 

“Well, let’s try it.” He says, and together they shoulder it over to the fence. Jonas wheezes slightly when they finish moving it into place, probably because he smokes too much.

 

“Excellent job, Jonas.” Ren says before he clambers onto the dumpster and over the fence. He leaves them standing there and suddenly Michael is exhausted.

 

“Well, uh, should we…?” Jonas asks awkwardly, and Michael shakes his head to get out of the weird mood he’s suddenly fallen into.

 

“Yeah,” he says. “After you.”


	2. 9 p.m.

**9 P.M.**

 

The cliffs are beautiful during the day, awash in colors like a wildfire. At night they’re still beautiful but are much more prone to giving people sprained ankles. The three of them stumble over hidden rocks and holes as they make their way down the path to the beach.

 

“Oh, uh, before we get there, I should-- I should probably mention that--” Ren starts.

 

From below Michael can hear Nona’s muttering ‘oh God’ while Clarissa laughs. He perks up immediately, glad that soon he can hang out with his girlfriend and not his dead sister’s best friend who hates him.

 

“Who’s that?” Jonas asks, and, yeah, maybe Michael forgot to tell him that other people would be here? Ren hadn’t mentioned it on the boat either, so.

 

“That’s-- so there’s this girl, Nona. She’s just this girl and I’m totally into her and I want her to be into me so just, you know, just-- just be cool, okay?” Ren stammers.

 

“Ren, relax.” Michael says, and--

 

“Oh and okay, Jonas, now that we’re dumpster buddies, what _was_ the thing you said to Mikey back there?” Ren asks. They’re focusing on making the jumps down to the beach, all eyes forward, but Michael knows that Ren has a shit eating grin on his face.

 

“Uh, it was nothing, really.” Jonas says, and Michael leaves it be.

 

“Reginald!” Clarissa calls. “I hear you over there.”

 

“H-Hey, guys.” Ren says nervously.

 

“Wait, I was saying… I was about to tell a story, what was it?” Clarissa asks Nona as the three guys scramble down the cliff face to meet them.

 

Michael jogs over and plants a kiss on Clarissa’s face with a ‘hey, babe.’

 

“About Brad’s car?” Nona asks.

 

“Oh, well… that can wait.” Clarissa says sarcastically. She leans into Michael as they both watch Ren hover nervously between Jonas and Nona.

 

“Hey,” Nona says and Ren lights up like a Christmas tree. He doesn’t say anything since he’s trying to play it cool.

 

“We started a fire down the way, but… Nona wanted to play beach nanny, so…” Clarissa says, laughter hidden in her voice. Only Michael and Nona can hear it.

 

“Nona, babe, this is Jonas.” Michael says, giving a bro-nod to Jonas who reluctantly returns it. “Jonas, this is Nona and my girlfriend, Clarissa.”

 

“Hey,” Jonas intones.

 

“Hi,” Nona says, clearly not interested.

 

“Who are you again?” Clarissa asks, raising an eyebrow. Michael laughs and nudges her with his shoulder.

 

“Jonas,” Jonas and Ren say.

 

“He’s Michael’s new in town, fresh as a daisy step-brother.” Ren goes on as they all turn to hike down to the beach proper. “It’s a trip, right?”

 

“Uh, yep.” Jonas says.

 

“Be nice,” Michael warns jokingly. Clarissa smirks at him over her shoulder as she leads the way. “He’s cool.”

 

“Where’s, uh…” Ren starts. “Where’s everyone else? I know that Nicole had that tennis thing--”

 

“Who else was supposed to come?” Michael asks, offering a gentlemanly hand to help Clarissa over a giant hole in the ground. She snorts and hops over it herself, totally sincerely wounding him.

 

“Anyone? Everyone?” Clarissa says.

 

“Clarissa, we-” Ren laughs nervously. “ _We_ took the last ferry. I thought more would show up but…”

 

“Maybe your invite skills need some work, Reginald.” Michael says, only kind of joking. Maybe _he’s_ mad at Ren?

 

“Yeah, thanks, Michael. You’re being really helpful.” Ren shoots back hotly. “Who even invited you?”

 

“Uh,” Clarissa drawls. “I did?”

 

“Wait,” Jonas cuts in. He’s at the back of the group and with every passing second seems like he wants nothing more than to be left behind. “Aren’t you all, like, friends?”

 

“Nona’s _friends_ with Clarissa, and I’m Clarissa’s neighbor basically.” Ren says, pissed off.

 

“Yeah, I’m… getting the picture now.” Jonas says. Michael glances up at him from the bottom of the path and he looks like he wants the ground to swallow him and send him back to Camena, which is really saying something.

 

“What about me?” Michael asks.

 

When Ren turns to look at him his eyes are full of outright loathing. “What _about_ you?”

 

“Am I not even a part of this?” Michael asks mildly, trying not to set him off.

 

“Y’see Jonas,” Ren says as he turns away. “Normally this is like a twenty deep rager, but… Pat had a party last weekend and--”

 

“ _And_ a bunch of kids got caught teepeeing the school.” Nona finishes.

 

“But this is great,” Ren says, full as a balloon with fake cheer. “Just… great.”

 

Finally, the path levels out and the brush clears. The sound of the ocean suddenly booms and the water stretches out in front of their eyes like the edge of the world. The fire burns on the shore and the orange light beckons, promising warmth and beer. Nona and Clarissa’s beach towels sit in the sand; the two girls plop down on them as soon as they can. Without her even having to ask, Michael makes his way over to the cooler to grab Clarissa a beer.

 

“Ah, fire!” Ren crows. “Man’s great equalizer!”

 

“So, what’s the, uh, what’s the, like, thing to do here?” Jonas asks, still visibly uncomfortable. “Other than obviously go skinny dipping and get murdered by Jason Krueger.”

 

“Yeah, I think it’s just whatever.” Nona says as she huddles into her towel.

 

“Drin-king, drin-king,” Michael pretends to chant. He opens his beer and chugs half of it before he carts one over to Clarissa.

 

“Where does that old woman live?” Jonas asks, looking up the wooden steps toward the caves.

 

“Oh,” Nona says. "You mean Maggie Adler?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Nowhere,” Clarissa says. “She’s dead.”

 

“Wait, really?” Michael cuts in. He wants to say more but doesn’t. Too close to the water, he guesses.

 

“Yep,” she goes on. “Keeled over three days ago. It was all over the news. Local news, anyway. “Oldest living resident.”” She takes a sip of her beer. “Family’s been moving back and forth on the ferry getting all of her crap.”

 

“Ooh,” Michael says. “We should go see her house!”

 

“No way,” Clarissa laughs. "I don’t want my jeans to tear scaling that fence. And to answer your previous question, Jonas,” she adds to the guy who’s lighting up again, “the “thing to do” is lay on the beach and drink until you can’t remember where you are.”

 

“And sometimes play Truth or Slap.” Nona adds.

 

Michael snorts into his beer. “You guys still play that?”

 

“It’s a time honored tradition,” Nona laughs quietly.

 

“We can inaugurate Jonas,” Ren drawls from where’s he’s chucking rocks into the water. “Ease him into the night’s festivities.”

 

“Isn’t it, uh, Truth or Dare?” Jonas asks as he exhales a cloud of smoke.

 

“This is better,” Ren says. “You get asked a question and if someone can prove that you lied, the accuser gets to slap you.”

 

“How can you prove that somebody lied?” Jonas asks, and he gets that look on his face again like he’s forgotten who and where he is.

 

“Hearsay, rumor, conjecture… The usual.” Ren says as he circles back to stand behind the fire.

 

“Alright! Let’s just get on with it.” Clarissa says, tapping her fingers on her drink impatiently.

 

“Okay, so, first--” Nona says.

 

“I’ll start! Ren,” Clarissa says as she leans forward, eyes lit up like Jonas’s cigarette. “C’mon, fess up. You wanna go out with Nona, right?”

 

“Clarissa!” Nona says, loudly (for her). In the firelight it looks like her whole body blushes.

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” she replies. “I wanna hear his answer.”

 

“Uhh…” Ren stammers.

 

“Babe, c’mon,” Michael says. “No weird stuff.”

 

“You ask ‘weird’ stuff if you play the game right, Michael.” She shoots back.

 

“Look, it’s tough to gauge, uh, something like--” Ren says as he tries to dig his way out.

 

Clarissa makes a zipping noise and points at him. “Enough stalling! I know you wanna sample the goods, now just say so.”

 

Nona hides her face in her hands and Jonas turns his whole body away from the slaughter.

 

“No, I mean, I-- like her as a friend, right? That’s-- I just like her as a friend. That’s all, she’s cool, she’s-- she’s just a friend.” Ren says. Oh, boy.

 

“Oh, yeah right.” Clarissa scoffs.

 

“Okay, thank you, Clarissa, this was very enjoyable.” Nona cuts in.

 

“Alright!” Michael says brightly. “Let’s move on.”

 

“Okay, it’s Ren’s turn, right? He gets to ask somebody something?” Jonas asks, tentatively turning back to the fire.

 

Ren is silent for a moment before he says, “Michael.”

 

Before he even says anything, Michael knows-- he just _knows_ \-- what he’s going to ask. So does Clarissa if the way she sits up and glares at him is any indication.

 

“Do _not_ ,” Clarissa barks.

 

“Wait, what’s--?” Jonas asks.

 

“New brother and everything.” Ren says. “And you know, statistically, if you get divorced once it’ll happen again.”

 

“There a question in there?” Michael asks. Please don’t let there be a question.

 

“Well, the fact is your mom divorced your dad, so…” Ren goes on. “Let’s put his mind at ease and hear why.”

 

“I don’t, uh, I don’t really _need_ to know the situation before. It’s none of my business.” Jonas says, trying to close up the game. Nice dude, Michael thinks.

 

“Why’d your parents get a divorce?” Ren asks doggedly. “Just so that Jonas can hear it from you.”

 

“Ren, I don’t really _care_ why they got a divorce, just that Michael’s mom is happy now,” Jonas says, louder this time. He tosses his cigarette butt into the fire and immediately lights up again.

 

“SHUT UP!” Clarissa yells, and it cuts through the din. Michael takes a very careful breath, and he counts to ten, and then he lets the breath out. Then he walks over the to cooler and gets himself another beer.

 

He answers. “You know why, Ren. Alex died and everything fell apart and they got divorced. Happy?”

 

“Well, now you know, Jonas,” Ren says. “Don’t die and everything will be fine.”

 

“Okay, Ren--” Nona tries to calm him down.

 

“What?” he bites back.

 

Jonas’s eyebrows have pretty much disappeared beneath his beanie at this point and he pulls on his cigarette so fast that the body turns to ash in one long breath. “You know, guys, honestly, I think I’m ready to just do pretty much anything else but this game.”

 

“Cheese!” Nona says as she walks over to Michael by the cooler. He gives a peace sign as the flash goes off.

 

“Whatever,” Ren says, shaking off the mood. “I’m gonna go check out the caves. Nona, wanna come?”

 

“No, thanks.” She replies with no hesitation as she sits down by Clarissa again.

 

“Fine.” Ren sighs. “Jonas, you’re a strapping young lad; help boost me over the fence. The cave’s just, uh, yonder.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed this garbage! follow me at tvnnelsnake.tumblr.com for 2 posts a month which probably won't even be about this game <3


End file.
